There's something comforting about traditional sitcoms. I know that when I sit down and watch a half-hour of Dr. Ken, there will be sassy jokes, a problem that can be solved with communication, and maybe some kind of lesson at the end of it all. It's not the most original formula in the world, but the show does it very well. In the season premiere, all the characters got to show off their comedy chops and their sweeter side.
The traditional structure of the sitcom doesn't mean that it has to be predictable, however, and the episode pulls off a clever twist in the middle.
The plot starts off with Allison feeling stressed about running her own practice and her long commute. She is never around for dinner and Ken is resorting to feeding Molly and Dave Reese's Pieces & Jelly sandwiches and Kit-Kat paninis (Allison's firm insistence that he should never apologize for putting candy on a sandwich got the biggest laugh of the night from me). Just as Allison is reaching a breaking point with her work, Pat offers her a job at Welltopia. The Looney Wing (named for its kind donors, the Looneys) needs a new psychologist and Pat thinks Allison would be perfect for the job.
At first, the episode revolves around Ken's need to keep his work and home life separate (he wouldn't be able to do his hilarious and extremely accurate Allison impressions if she's around) and he schemes to prevent her from hearing Pat's offer. When Pat finally gets through and Allison laughs in Ken's face about the job, Ken starts feeling insecure for a wholly different reason. It's one thing that he's uncomfortable working around Allison, but Allison being uncomfortable working around him makes him think that there's a larger problem the two aren't addressing. After Ken shows up at her yoga class, Allison confesses that it has nothing to do with working with him. She just doesn't see herself giving up on her own practice.
At this point, the A-plot intersects with Molly's and Dave's B-plot. Molly just received her SAT scores and is disappointed with the results. She's also afraid to tell her parents she did a bad job. Dave helps her hide the results and spins an elaborate lie about a postal strike predicted by NPR. Ken, despite falling for the ruse, finds Molly's scores and tells her that it isn't a big deal. It's just a test and she'll do better next time. Allison overhears the conversation and realizes that her job has made her less present in her children's lives. She decides to take the new job to shorten her commute and spend more time with Molly before she heads off to college.
Meanwhile, at Welltopia, Clark and Damona try to figure out what Clark's boyfriend, Connor, actually does for a living (Connor told Clark on their first date, but Clark was too busy daydreaming to notice). Connor keeps speaking in vague terms (or being drowned out by Pat's portable coffee grinder). When Clark decides to be honest and ask Connor what he does, Connor takes it as a push to quit his job and follow his very vague dreams. The plot ends as it begins, with Clark in the dark about Connor's career. It's just a different career now.
In the end, the episode did exactly what I thought it would do. It showed a sweet, stable, slightly neurotic family who invite the audience into their home once a week to laugh along to their antics.
What did you think of the show? Let me know in the comments!
